Fluid deflector for fluid separator devices

• US 8,231,336 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dresser-Rand Group Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Dresser-Rand Group Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Maier, William C., Chochua, Gocha T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kershteyn, Igor
• Application Number:
  US12/442,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20100021292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 415/121.2, 415/208.1
• US Class Current: 415/121.2
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/441 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/701 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps

Abstract

A fluid deflector is for a fluid separator including a central axis and an enclosed wall having an open end and an inner circumferential separation surface extending about the axis to define an interior separation chamber. The fluid deflector includes a base disposable proximal to the wall open end and having a central axis collinear with the separator axis. A plurality of vanes are connected with the base so as to be spaced circumferentially about the central axis. The vanes define a plurality of flow channels each bounded by a separate pair of adjacent vanes and having an inlet and an outlet. Each vane directs flow through a bounded channel generally radially inwardly from the channel inlet toward the channel outlet and generally circumferentially and radially outwardly from the channel outlet.

Claims

1. A fluid deflector for a fluid separator, comprising:

a base disposable proximate an open end of a substantially enclosed wall of the fluid separator and having a base central axis being substantially collinear with a separator central axis, wherein the substantially enclosed wall has an inner circumferential separation surface extending circumferentially about the base central axis so as to define an interior separation chamber; and

a plurality of vanes spaced circumferentially about the base central axis, connected with or disposed against the base and extending radially outward therefrom, the plurality of vanes being rotationally stationary with respect to the separator central axis and being configured to direct fluid radially outward toward the inner circumferential separation surface.

2. The fluid deflector as recited in claim 1, wherein the base and the plurality of vanes define a plurality of flow channels, each of the plurality of flow channels being bounded by a separate one of a plurality of pairs of adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes and having a channel inlet and a channel outlet, each of the plurality of vanes being configured to direct flow through at least one channel such that fluid flows radially inward from the channel inlet toward the channel outlet and circumferentially and radially outward from the channel outlet.

3. The fluid deflector as recited in claim 2, wherein the base has an outer surface facing toward the substantially enclosed wall, each of the plurality of vanes extending outward from the outer surface, each of the plurality of flow channels being partially bounded by a separate one of a plurality of flow sections of the base surface.

4. The fluid deflector as recited in claim 3, wherein the base includes a body with a tubular hub portion having first and second ends spaced apart along the base central axis and a disk-shaped portion extending radially outward from the first end of the hub portion, the hub portion being at least partially disposed within the interior separation chamber and each base flow section extending radially along the disk-shaped portion and axially along the hub portion so that fluid contacting a base flow section is directed radially inward and then axially and into the interior separation chamber toward the inner circumferential separation surface.

5. The fluid deflector as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of vanes includes an elongated body extending at least partially along the base central axis and having first and second ends and opposing channeling surfaces extending between the first and second ends, wherein the first end is spaced axially outward from the open end of the substantially enclosed wall and the second end is spaced axially inward from the open end of the substantially enclosed wall so as to be disposed at least partially within the interior separation chamber, each of the channeling surfaces being configured to direct fluid contacting the elongated body proximal to the first end to flow radially inward and then simultaneously axially and radially outward beyond the second end.

6. The fluid deflector as recited in claim 5, wherein the elongated body of each of the plurality of vanes is at least partially curved so as to extend at least partially circumferentially about the base central axis such that fluid flow is directed radially outward from and circumferentially about the base central axis and toward the interior separation surface, and the elongated body of each of the plurality of vanes has first and second side edges each extending between the first and second ends of each of the plurality of vanes, the first side edge being disposed against the base and the second side edge being spaced from the base, the second side edge extending substantially parallel with the first side edge.

7. The fluid deflector as recited in claim 5, wherein the elongated body of each of the plurality of vanes extends at least partially circumferentially in the same one of two opposing angular directions about the base central axis, wherein the plurality of vanes are configured to direct flow contacting at least two of the vanes to swirl in one of two opposing angular directions about the base central axis.

8. The fluid deflector as recited in claim 6, wherein the base includes a tubular portion with an outer circumferential surface, the first side edge of each of the plurality of vanes being connected with the outer circumferential surface, and being angled with respect to the outer circumferential surface such that the second side edge of each of the plurality of vanes is offset circumferentially with respect to the first side edge.

9. The fluid deflector as recited in claim 6, further comprising a tubular shroud spaced radially outward from the tubular portion of the base, the second side edge of each of the plurality of vanes being connected with the shroud.

10. The fluid deflector as recited in claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of vanes is disposed between two adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes, one of the opposing channeling surfaces is a suction surface and the other opposing channeling surface is a pressure surface, each suction surface facing toward the pressure surface of one of the two adjacent vanes such that the facing suction and pressure surfaces partially bound one of the plurality of flow channels, each of the plurality of vanes being angled such that the pressure surface of each vane faces toward the inner circumferential separation surface and each suction surface is configured to direct fluid contacting the suction surface toward the facing pressure surface, the suction surface facing toward an outer circumferential perimeter of the base so that fluid contacting the suction surface is deflected toward the facing pressure surface of one of the two adjacent vanes.

11. The fluid deflector as recited in claim 1, wherein the fluid separator further comprises:

a flow port adjacent to the open end of the substantially enclosed wall, wherein each of the plurality of vanes has a first end located at least proximal to the flow port and a second end spaced axially and radially inwardly from the first end and disposable within the interior separation chamber such that fluid contacting the plurality of vanes is directed to flow radially inwardly from the first end of each of the plurality of vanes, axially into the interior separation chamber, and radially outwardly from the second end of each of the plurality of vanes toward the inner surface of the substantially enclosed wall; and

a flow passage extending along the separator central axis, the flow port fluidly connecting the flow passage with the interior separation chamber, wherein at least one of the base and the plurality of vanes is configured to deflect fluid flowing in a first axial direction through the flow passage to flow in an opposing second axial direction into the interior separation chamber.

12. The fluid deflector as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the substantially enclosed wall of the fluid separator is an inner wall and has an outer circumferential surface, wherein the fluid separator further includes another substantially enclosed wall with an inner circumferential surface being spaced radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the inner wall so as to define an annular flow channel; and

the base is spaced axially from the inner wall end and extends radially toward the outer circumferential surface and has a portion disposed within the interior separation chamber such that fluid flowing through the annular flow channel contacts at least one of the base and at least one of the plurality of vanes so as to be directed radially and then axially and circumferentially into the interior separation chamber.

13. The fluid deflector as recited in claim 12, wherein the fluid separator further includes a rotatable shaft and a rotary separator mounted on the shaft and disposed within the interior separation chamber, the base having a central opening sized to receive the rotatable shaft with clearance such that the rotatable shaft is rotatable with respect to the base.

14. The fluid deflector as recited in claim 13, wherein the fluid separator includes a casing, the outer circumferential surface being immovably mounted within the casing, the base is fixedly connected with the outer circumferential surface, and a portion of the rotary separator is disposed within the central opening of the base, the central opening of the base being sized such that the rotary separator is rotatable with respect to the base.

15. A fluid separator comprising:

a housing having an interior chamber and an inlet passage extending into the interior chamber;

an enclosed wall disposed within the interior chamber and having an end surface and an inner circumferential surface at least partially defining a separation chamber; and

a fluid deflector disposed within the interior chamber and including a rotationally stationary base with a central axis, the base being spaced from the wall end surface so as to define a radial port configured to fluidly connect the inlet passage with the separation chamber, and a plurality of vanes spaced circumferentially about the base central axis, extending radially outward from the base and being rotationally stationary with respect to the central axis, each of the plurality of vanes being configured to direct fluid outward, toward the inner circumferential surface of the enclosed wall such that at least a portion of at least one of liquid and relatively dense gas within a fluid directed onto the inner circumferential surface of the enclosed wall is separated from the fluid.

16. The fluid separator as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

a shaft disposed within the interior chamber so as to be rotatable about the central axis; and

a rotary separator mounted to the shaft and having an outer surface spaced radially inward from the wall inner circumferential surface such that the separation chamber is an annular primary chamber, the rotary separator having an inner surface extending about the shaft so as to define an inner separation chamber and at least one outlet passage fluidly connecting the inner separation chamber with the primary chamber.

17. The fluid separator as recited in claim 15, wherein the base and the plurality of vanes define a plurality of flow channels, each of the plurality of flow channels being bounded by adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes and having an channel inlet and an channel outlet, each of the plurality of vanes being configured to direct flow through at least one of the plurality of flow channels such that fluid flows radially inward from the channel inlet toward the channel outlet and circumferentially and radially outward from the channel outlet.

18. The fluid separator as recited in claim 17, wherein the base includes a body with a tubular hub portion having first and second ends spaced apart along the central axis and a disk-shaped portion extending radially outward from the first end of the hub portion, the hub portion being at least partially disposable within the separation chamber and each of the plurality of flow channels extending radially along the disk-shaped portion and axially along the hub portion so that fluid contacting at least one of the plurality of flow channels is directed radially inward and then axially and into the separation chamber.

19. The fluid separator as recited in claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of vanes includes an elongated body having first and second ends and opposing channeling surfaces extending between the first and second ends, the channeling surface of each of the plurality of vanes being configured to direct fluid contacting the elongated body of a respective one of the plurality of vanes, proximal to the first end of the body to flow radially and then both axially and radially outwardly beyond the second end.

20. A compressor comprising:

a casing having an interior chamber and an inlet passage extending into the chamber;

a shaft disposed within the casing chamber so as to be rotatable about a central axis;

a least one impeller mounted on the shaft;

a wall disposed within casing chamber and having an end surface and an inner surface extending circumferentially about the central axis and spaced radially outward from the shaft, the inner surface at least partially defining a separation chamber; and

a fluid deflector disposed within the separation chamber between the wall end surface and the impeller, the fluid deflector including;

a base with a central axis, the base being spaced from the wall end surface so as to define a radial port configured to fluidly connect the inlet passage with the separation chamber; and

a plurality of vanes spaced circumferentially about the base central axis, each vane being configured to direct a fluid contacting the vane toward the wall inner surface such that at least a portion of at least one of liquid and relatively dense gas within the fluid directed onto the wall inner surface is separated from the fluid.